


A Piece of the Action

by weepingnaiad



Series: Comment Fics [17]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Noir, Comment Fic, Community: jim_and_bones, F/M, M/M, Pool Hall AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:29:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22117144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/weepingnaiad/pseuds/weepingnaiad
Summary: Pool Hall/Gangster AU where Nero's villainy has destroyed far too many lives and Doctor Leonard McCoy and Mister Spock have joined forces to take Nero down.  They need backup so Leonard takes it upon himself to get an audience with Christopher Pike, local mob boss.  But that takes getting past his second, James T. Kirk.  And that means beating Kirk at pool.
Relationships: James T. Kirk/Leonard "Bones" McCoy
Series: Comment Fics [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1590865
Comments: 2
Kudos: 31





	A Piece of the Action

“There’s a guy here to see you, Cap’n,” Sulu says, gesturing toward the front of the pool hall.

Jim shifts, pressing one foot flat on the ground. He takes a swig of beer but doesn’t take his eyes from Janice’s pert ass swaying as she struggles to make her shot. She makes it and gives a fist pump before leaning over to take another.

Only then does Jim turn to Sulu. “What’s he want?”

Sulu hesitates, just enough that Jim knows something’s wrong. “He didn’t say.”

Jim stands, slaps Janice on the ass, and tells her, “Go get yourself a manicure, baby.”

“Hey! You messed up my shot!” She rounds on him, all stiff lines with an angry flush suffusing her face.

“Leave out the back way. Pavel will drive you.” She meets Jim’s eyes, knows better than to argue.

Her anger cools as Jim hands Pavel some cash and they’re gone. Not a moment too soon because the ‘guy’ as Sulu named him is waltzing toward Jim. He’s carrying a cue case and trailed by a tall, dark shadow.

Jim’s got this guy's number, though he’s going to have a talk with Sulu for the shit job he’d done at the door.

“You Jim Kirk?” the guy asks. Straight up, no preamble.

Jim likes that.

He grins, but his eyes aren’t smiling as he takes another swallow of beer. “Who wants to know?”

“The name’s McCoy, Leonard McCoy.”

Jim waits. He’s never heard of this guy and he never forgets a face, especially the kind that McCoy’s sporting; all soulful eyes, soft lips in a heart-shaped face, chin rough with stubble. Fuckin’ gorgeous piece of ass like him? Jim would remember meeting him.

“Who’s your silent friend?” Jim glances at the man with the short black hair and nearly black eyes. There’s something about him that’s familiar and Jim hates surprises. Every muscle tenses.

“I am Spock.”

“So you _can_ speak.” The guy just gives him a raised eyebrow and says nothing more. Jim will figure out where he knows him from soon enough.

He turns his attention back to McCoy. “What can I do for you, McCoy?”

The guy looks around the room. It’s just a few of the guys, some playing pool, others taking an interest in McCoy, especially now. He’s starting to look nervous and for some reason Jim doesn’t understand he takes pity on the guy. “C’mon. There’s a private table in the back.”

“Hold all calls, Sulu,” Kirk says as he stands. He grabs his favorite cue, steals Sulu’s beer and walks toward the ‘party’ room. It’s dingier than the rest of the place, smells of peanuts, sweat, and stale beer. The long light over the table advertises cheap beer and the paneling is scuffed and dirty. But the door is solid, no windows, and the pool table is their best even if the A/C works too hard to choke out damp, musty air leaving every surface with a thin, greasy film.

McCoy catches Spock’s eye and the man stands his ground, almost at parade rest, but does not follow. It’s just Jim and McCoy as the door closes off the rest of the hall and the curious stares.

~~*~~

Jim turns and McCoy’s already piecing his stick together.

“What’s the hurry?”

McCoy looks up and there’s something about his expression that makes Jim’s mouth go dry. If he wasn’t dead certain that Pike would kill him for dicking around right now, he’d bend McCoy over the table and try out that fine ass.

“I know how this works, Kirk. I have to go through you to get to Pike. So, I’m here. Making a wager.”

“Just what the hell could you possibly have that I would want?”

McCoy’s eyes flash gold before bottoming out. “I know where you can find Nero.”

Jim’s damn good at poker, been through enough shit in his life that he can keep a straight face under most circumstances, but McCoy surprises him. He’s sure his eyes give him away, but he runs with it. Grin wide, eyes cutting, as he asks, “Who?”

McCoy leans against the side of the table, arms crossed over his chest, and Jim is _not_ staring. Their eyes lock, McCoy’s trying to call Jim’s bluff, but he’s learned - the hard way - to keep his mouth shut. Wait it out.

“Dammit, man, don’t give me that bullshit! Everyone in these parts knows Nero. The bastard killed Spock’s family, took my Daddy for all he had. And I haven’t spent the last two years getting the goods on him to play twenty-one questions with an idiot.”

Despite the insult, Jim’s grinning. “So what do you propose… Mister McCoy?”

“It’s _Doctor_ McCoy, dammit. And I’m offering Pike more than Nero’s location.” McCoy takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “I know how you can put him down like the dog he is.”

Jim’s intrigued, but he’s not telling McCoy that. He needs to talk to Pike, but first he really needs to figure out if this guy is legit. If the game of pool is nothing more than a ploy by Jim to watch Leonard’s ass as he bends over the table, McCoy doesn’t need to know that. Jim hands McCoy that glorious ass in eight ball, but he’s not entirely convinced McCoy didn’t miss some shots on purpose.

“I’ll talk to Pike, but no promises.” Jim says as the eight ball slips easily into the side pocket. He stands and offers his hand. “Good game. Leave your number with Sulu and we’ll be in touch.”

McCoy, wary, takes Jim’s hand, but he’s shaking his head. “No numbers. No address. I’ll find you, kid.”

He packs up his cue and leaves with a few brisk strides, his shadow tailing him silently, leaving Jim to wonder just who is being played here.

**Author's Note:**

> I originally posted this on J&B way back in March 2012 in response to the dailies. It spawned a much larger AU, and I have many scenes written but nowhere near finished. And there's no guarantees that i'll ever be able to tackle that. Since I'm trying to archive all of my posted writing here, I decided to go ahead and post this.


End file.
